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A series of stand alone stories that when reading, felt like a glimpse into people’s windows, or like overhearing strangers talking in a cafe. The stories are all vivid and believable. Some are happy, some are heart breaking. I think the reader will resonate with one, if not many of the situations posed in these stories. It’s comforting in that you will see yourself in them and feel seen.
What a weight on Gwendy's shoulders. Throughout this read, I kept shifting from wanting that responsibility to never ever even imagining such a thing. At any rate, I’m convinced that Gwendy’s successor was a bit more careless, and I blame him for today’s political climate and a whole lot more. If the torch is ever passed on to me, rest assured that I’ll take care of him! This book also contained the short story, The Music Room. What the want and need for money does to people...
What a gem. So glad I came across its availability in Libby. My takeaway: you are not defined by just one thing - not your job, your losses, your successes. You are the sum of all of your experiences. We live through hard times; but better to live through them as there are always good times that await. Best to live life to its fullest. We are large. We contain multitudes.
This was a fun little read; entertaining and educational. It reminds me of how my brother used to teach me of historical importances - painting vivid pictures and mind movies that have stayed with me always. I read this along with the audiobook, which I am sure made it more enjoyable and cozy like in those days in which my brother used to tell his tales to me.
What a fun little farce. It reminded me of the works by PG Wodehouse, whom I adore. What made this read even more special to me is that, while I read, it dawned on me that a very old movie my mom and I would watch from time to time is an adaptation of this play. I’ll definitely be rereading this time and again to remember mom and to help get me out of those horrid little reading slumps that sneak up unexpectedly.
Although on the surface this might seem like a silly little play, there is so much social commentary on education, church, society and the law, if you read between the lines and remember the times in which he wrote this and what he was going through. And to be able to infuse humor? The more I think about it, the more my respect for the author grows.
Warning: Elder abuse might take you aback. I was not expecting it and did not enjoy reading through those bits.
I’ve been reading some trippy books lately, add this one to the list. Claire is one petty and judgy killer. She’s kind of insane and relatable at the same time. Yikes. What does this say about me??
This was a page-turner of a book. It was twisty and kept me guessing all throughout. It loses steam at the very end though, but that’s okay. Even a roller coaster ride has to slow down and come to a stop at some point. And this read sure did feel like a rollercoaster ride. Read along to the audiobook. Pretty decent narrator.
Hahaha! What did I just finish reading?? I feel like that one friend who talks too much and goes off on tangents took a hit of something and began riffing off this weird, trippy, silly-like fever dream of a tale.
The sarcasm (and over-use) used to unravel every trope known to man was an unexpected treat as was the use of the red herrings; so original and just genius. I’m glad Libby had this little gem as an offering and that I happened to stumble upon it.
Voules? Who’s this Voules? This is the first story I read in which Jeeves doesn’t make an appearance to back up and be by old Reggie Pepper’s side. Instead, we get Voules, Reggie's disloyal and opportunistic valet . This is not a problem, though, as Reggie and company all come out of the jam unscathed.
Updated review: Weird and confusing in a good way. It’s a lot of read and too much for me to process still. I’m not able to review without giving major details away, so I’ll just say this:
There is a lot going on in the story. The beginning is a little confusing and chaotic and some parts drag and can make the read seem longer than it is. Stick with it though, it’s totally unique and clever.
Do not read during a reading slump as there is too much going on and too much think about.
This is loaded with graphic violence (like, a lot), but there is humor sprinkled throughout as well.
There’s a bit towards the end that falls flat, but overall it was a creative and satisfying read. The ending left me with questions. “The universe is structured in such a way that no matter how many mysteries you solve, there is always a deeper mystery behind it.”
Old review: My not finishing the book has nothing to do with the writing style or anything like that; but with my reading slump and my impatience for the book to reveal its mystery. Once I am back in a binge-reading kind of mood, I will definitely revisit this one.
Not my usual type of read, but I am so glad I read it. This was such a sweet, feel-good romance. It took me back to the sappy 80s films of my youth. The biggest take aways from Alice and Charlie’s love story:
“Trust and friendship come first.”
“Don’t let wounds fester. It only gets harder to repair them.”
“Nothing lasts forever…that’s why you should grab onto whatever makes you happy now and hold on for as long as you can. Life’s short.”
“Falling in love is terrifying.” But when you are certain that you and your partner are a seamless fit, it’s like “…sunshine shimmering over the water…a permanent summer.”
Easy and quick read. I was expecting a lot more about the history of idioms: more historical tracking, their evolution through time, and examples of earliest times they were ever used. The author does provide the earliest use of some of the phrases. In most cases, he refers to who first coined the phrase and where it can be found, leaving the reader to pause and Google.
This book reads as a grammar or early middle school reference. The passages are short and concise and a good jumping-off point for those who like to dig deeper and explore a subject further. It’d make a fun read for reluctant readers as passages are very short, and it’d be equally as enjoyable for the ones who are always asking, “why?” It also makes for a nice palate cleanser in between more serious reads. I especially liked the little “Did You Know” blurbs the author included at the end of each of the chapters, like these two:
“There’s a 107-acre forest made up of a single tree. The “Trembling Giant” in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest includes over 47,000 quaking aspen trees that share the same root system. Some scientists estimate it’s close to a million years old.”
“The deepest mail box in the world is in a small Japanese fishing town called Susami, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s an old-school red mailbox that’s located thirty-two feet (ten meters) under water, and divers often place waterproof letters there and they are then collected in regular intervals. The mailbox is quite active, as it receives one to five thousand pieces of mail annually.”
A short paragraph in which a mom tells her daughter what to do and how to act in every situation you can think of (how to keep house, how to wash herself, how to please a man, how to smile at people she likes, and those she doesn’t). Basically, mom is shaping her daughter to not think for herself. And with what mom says about daughter, I’m guessing she’s shaping daughter to have a hefty dose of low self-esteem to boot. The daughter only says two quick things in the whole passage, one of which is to protest against one of mom’s assumptions about her, and mom keeps shooting off orders without skipping a beat. Different times. Different cultures. Same cringe when I see women (or anyone, really) continue to support this ideology. You can read it for free here:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/06/26/girl
I love looking at old photographs, especially black and white ones. I wonder what the story behind the photos is. Who the people pictured are and how their lives turned out.
The author of this book started collecting photos at a young age. His grandparents would drag him to all kinds of garage sales and flea markets, and that’s where his hobby began. What first fascinated him is that photos of perfect strangers are even sold at all. Then he came across a photo of a girl who looked like the one he had a crush on at summer camp. He bought it and kept it and didn’t buy another random photo for another 15 years, when he removed the little cardboard frame from the photo of the girl to discover that her name was Dorothy, aged 15, who died of leukemia.
Those little written captions in the stranger’s life touched him, and he began to search for more photos with writing on them. The rest of the book is just that—photos of the past. Some are happy, others are sad, and some are plain goofy. There’s nothing super amazing about this book. But if you like looking through old photos this book will fit the bill. It’s peaceful and relaxing and will make you want to treasure your personal photos a bit more.
“You left under different circumstances, bad times, or tougher times. It’s OK to have changed. People grow. Sometimes they outgrow their environment and need a bigger one to continue that growth.”
A fun little read about a young man who has traveled a long distance and has taken a lot of beatings to find himself, his purpose, and friends who feel like home. The writing wasn’t the greatest - some parts felt rushed, others dragged a bit, but the heart of the story is there.
I’ve been in a reading slump for about two months; I pick up a book and can’t focus. I find myself reading a simple passage over and over again.
Powering through, I tried dipping my toe back into the classics. I kept it light by choosing a children’s classic. This particular choice, along with my lack of focus, made it difficult to get through.
A sweet book with many lessons to be learned about friendship and accountability, it dragged in places where the author used excessive use of flowery words to dredge up imagery of the landscape, and so forth. The chapter on the Sea Rat (Wayfarers All) was particularly brutal. I’ll probably give this book another try when I’m back to regular reading mode, but for now I’ll let it be.
I paired my reading along with the audiobook (great narrator btw). I think had I read the book on its own, the Groundhog Day-like time travel would have done me in. The narrator made those parts much easier to digest.
Poor Cassandra is having a bad day. Her “quirks” make it difficult for her to connect with people. One day, Cassandra wakes to find she can go back in time and she tries to undo her bad day. Through these trials, Cassandra begins to learn to pick up on signs and cues from others, something she struggles to do in real time as she processes information a bit differently. She also comes to realize what makes her different and learns to use that info to break the bad day loop and move on to a more agreeable present .
It’s a sweet book but I expected a little more out of it. Not sure what. A little more emotion…a little more action…a more solid ending? All in all, a decent read. It just lacked a bit of wow.
“Clay can be salvaged…Jungmin whispered.”
Perfect read for springtime. A story of renewal, clay work is a metaphor for life. Using the steps required to make a piece of pottery is mirrored in the protagonist's own life as she takes her first steps to reshape her’s.
Jungmin is burnt out. Stress in a highly demanding and thankless job causes her to throw it all in. Little by little she kind of becomes a shut-in. She finally musters a little courage to take a walk and stumbles upon a pottery shop. The subtleties used by the owner (life coach) to get Jungmin to stay and give pottery work a try is masterful.
Life is malleable. It takes a steady dose of patience and persistence to make something out of it that you can use and that will bring you satisfaction. It is unique and its imperfections should also be embraced as sometimes it’s the imperfections that bring the piece character and draws others in.
Now, what I am describing are lessons that are delicately woven into the story. The author’s use of language is soft and relaxing, and she takes great care not to beat you over the head with the moral of the story. A friend recommended this one and I am glad Libby came through when it did. Thanks for the recommendation, Elwira! Very sweet story.
A lovely debut novel by Mr. Graham Norton. Characters are well developed and relatable, and the story unfolded with a nice flow and ease. No loose ends. It kept my interest as to what would happen next all the way to the end. Reading it in his voice helped a lot (and unavoidable).
I received the audiobook version from Libby way too late into my reading, but I read the last two chapters along with the audio, and it was excellent. Not only is Norton a solid writer, he’s an amazing narrator.
As for the story itself, it’s ultimately about the idea of how life’s what-could-have-beens and past memories and secrets can keep one from living their fullest and happiest present.
If this debut novel were on the famous Red Chair, I would let it tell its tale and I wouldn’t dream of pulling the lever!
Not going to review PG’s works anymore. I’ve come to realize how much I love his short witty stories and already know they’re all going to be 4 to 5 stars across the board. I will say one thing about this particular story, had it taken place in current times, Chiswick would definitely have given old Bicky the money to corner the egg market!